Demetris Nicolaides

In physics a phase of matter (e.g., solid, liquid, gas, magnetic, living, nonliving) is characterized by its own set of unique properties (e.g., density). Two of the most interesting phase transformations are the birth and death of life—science understands well neither of them.

Socrates had all his wisdom teeth intact. I recently had my last wisdom tooth extracted. I win, yay!

Enjoy my interview with   S C I E N T I F I C   A M E R I C A N   on the Search for a Theory of Everything. Will Scientists Ever Find a Theory of Everything? scientificamerican.com/artic… via @sciam

Thesis + Antithesis = Synthesis (a revised thesis) #KNOWLEDGE

Clock at sea level: tick tock tick tock Clock at mountain: tick tock tick tock Universal time is an illusion. #physics #Science

The distance/space between two of your fingers that are touching, is roughly the size of an atom. #Science #Physics #KNOWLEDGE #nature

#Nature is Shy! Quarks and leptons, the particles that make up the universe, are socially shy: the closer they get to one another, the faster they run away from each other. But this shyness is a good thing: it's what creates atoms, molecules & living species. #Science #biology

A paradox (p) is created when a logical argument reaches one result but evidence shows the exact opposite. Fermi’s p: aliens can be argued to exist but are seen nowhere. Zeno’s p: faster Achilles can be argued he can’t overtake a slower tortoise, but he does. #Science #logic

Δx Δp ≥ h/4π implies that, microscopic particles are claustrophobic. The smaller the confining space of, say, an electron, the faster it moves out from it—the less time it stays there.

cat, lion, tiger—kinds of cats. electron, muon, tauon—kinds of electrons. #Science #physics

Stars shine because of thermonuclear fusion reactions—or, you could say, because they are surrounded by darkness. #Science #Physics #philosophy

To understand nature (physics) we often have to see her with our imagination, not our eyes. #Physics #Science #Reality

In theory, a magnetic monopole—i.e., a magnet having only a north or only a south magnetic pole—could exist, but in practice one has never been found in nature (up to now). #physics #science

π is an irrational number. Irrational literally means that there is no ratio, none at all, that can provide an exact numerical value for pi. Putting it differently, there is literally not enough paper in the entire universe to write pi completely! #piDay2023

"The most effective way to do it, is to do it."--Amelia Earhart

In 1 sec light travels as far away as is roughly the distance of 8 times around the Earth. Imagine if light travels for a year—that distance is called a light year. By some estimates the size of the observable universe is some 92 billion light-years. #Science #physics

The Principle of Equivalence of General Relativity says that (a) being on Earth feels exactly the same as (b) being in a spaceship (away from Earth) accelerating with g. That is, every experiment you would do in situation b would produce the same outcome as in a. #Physics

A car moving relatively to a street observer, is not moving relatively to its driver. #Physics #Science

In the Copenhagen view of quantum mechanics, a tree falling in a forest makes a sound only if we are there to hear it. #Physics #Reality #philosophy #philosophie #Science

It’s convenient that quarks/leptons (the material particles the universe is made of) are point-like, size-less. Because then, we've no difficulty imagining the universe itself being point-like (tiny, anyway) as is believed to be its initial state according to the #BigBangTheory.